Device for removing the noxious and aromatic substances from an air flow fed into the interior of a vehicle

Abstract

A device for removing noxious and aromatic matter from a conducted air flow into the interior of a vehicle comprises an air conduction housing with a reactor containing an adsorbent. To attain consistently good adsorption and absorption power with small amounts of adsorbing and absorbing material, the air conduction housing is designed with two separate parallel air flow channels, in each of which there is a reactor in the form of a flat wall. An adsorption air flow acts upon the adsorbent in one air flow channel and a desorption air flow acts upon the adsorbent in the other air flow channel, the direction of air flow into the reactor in the adsorption operation being opposite that in the desorption operation.

We claim: 
     
       1. A device for removing noxious and aromatic substances from an air flow fed into the interior of a motor vehicle, comprising an air feed housing of a size and configuration to fit inside of the motor vehicle, said air feed housing defining first and second separate and parallel air flow paths and having an air intake and a first air outlet adapted to deliver air to the interior of the motor vehicle;   at least one reactor positioned in each of the air flow paths, said reactor being designed as a generally planar bed member and being comprised of an adsorbent material that adsorbs both noxious and aromatic substances contained in the air; and   a flow control device for alternately subjecting the adsorbent material in the first air flow path to an adsorption air flow and the adsorbent material in the second air flow path to a desorption air flow, wherein the air flow direction in the adsorbent material in the first and second air flow paths are opposite during adsorption and during desorption, wherein said air feed housing comprises a common main air chamber and two subsidiary air chambers, wherein a reactor is disposed between the main air chamber and each one of the subsidiary air chambers and wherein said flow control device includes air flow control elements provided in the main air chamber and the subsidiary air chambers for alternatively switching over between adsorption operation and desorption operation, the reactor which is in adsorption operation communicating on the downstream side with said first air outlet to the vehicle interior, and the reactor which is in desorption operation communicating on the downstream side to a second air outlet in said air feed housing that is adapted to deliver air to the outside of the vehicle.   
     
     
       2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a heating device disposed upstream of the reactor. 
     
     
       3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said heating device comprises a PTC heater or a radiator with water flowing through it. 
     
     
       4. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a fan connected to the air intake of said air feed housing. 
     
     
       5. A device according to claim 4, wherein said air intake of said air feed housing communicates with the interior of the vehicle for withdrawing exhaust air therefrom. 
     
     
       6. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a fan connected to only one of said first or second air flow paths, said fan being connected to a source of air on the outside of the vehicle, and said air flow path containing said fan being connected solely to said main air chamber, for supplying desorption air flow exclusively from said outside air source via said fan. 
     
     
       7. A device according claim 1, further comprising a particle filter provided in at least one of said flow paths. 
     
     
       8. A device according claim 1, wherein the reactor is comprised of at least one adsorbent material selected from the group consisting of active carbon, zeolite, aluminum oxide and silica gel. 
     
     
       9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the reactor is comprised of a combination or mixture of at least two of said adsorbent materials. 
     
     
       10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the reactor comprises a combination of at least two materials, wherein each material is disposed in a separate layer extending transversely with respect to the air flow direction. 
     
     
       11. A device according to claim 1, wherein the reactor comprises a monolith or bed of adsorbent material. 
     
     
       12. A device according to claim 1, wherein the reactor comprises an adsorbent material coating on a substrate selected from a heat transfer medium, plastic foam or lattice. 
     
     
       13. A device according to claim 1, further comprising in conjunction with said reactor at least one area having a copper-oxide or noble-metal coating. 
     
     
       14. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a device for flushing the reactor by means of steam shock or a flushing gas. 
     
     
       15. A device for removing noxious and aromatic substances from an air flow fed into the interior of a motor vehicle, comprising an air feed housing of a size and configuration to fit inside of the motor vehicle, said air feed housing defining first and second separate and parallel air flow paths and having an air intake and a first air outlet adapted to deliver air to the interior of the motor vehicle;   at least one reactor positioned in each of the air flow paths, said reactor being designed as a generally planar bed member and being comprised of an adsorbent material that adsorbs both noxious and aromatic substances contained in the air; and   a flow control device for alternately subjecting the adsorbent material in the first air flow path to an adsorption air flow and the adsorbent material in the second air flow path to a desorption air flow, wherein the air flow direction in the adsorbent material in the first and second air flow paths are opposite during adsorption and during desorption, wherein said at least one reactor comprises a single bed member, and said flow control device comprises a drive to rotate said bed member such that alternate areas of said bed member are alternately positioned in the first and second air flow paths.   
     
     
       16. A device according to claim 15, wherein said drive is adapted to rotate said bed member in steps in accordance with specified time cycles. 
     
     
       17. A device according to claim 15, wherein said drive is adapted to continuously rotate said bed member. 
     
     
       18. A device according claim 15, further comprising a particle filter provided in at least one of said flow paths. 
     
     
       19. A device according claim 15, wherein the reactor is comprised of at least one adsorbent material selected from the group consisting of active carbon, zeolite, aluminum oxide and silica gel. 
     
     
       20. A device according to claim 19, wherein the reactor is comprised of a combination or mixture of at least two of said adsorbent materials. 
     
     
       21. A device according to claim 20, wherein the reactor comprises a combination of at least two materials, wherein each material is disposed in a separate layer extending transversely with respect to the air flow direction. 
     
     
       22. A device according to claim 15, wherein the reactor comprises a monolith or bed of adsorbent material. 
     
     
       23. A device according to claim 15, wherein the reactor comprises an adsorbent material coating on a substrate selected from a heat transfer medium, plastic foam or lattice. 
     
     
       24. A device according to claim 15, further comprising in conjunction with said reactor at least one area having a copper-oxide or noble-metal coating. 
     
     
       25. In a motor vehicle, a device for removing noxious and aromatic substances from an air flow fed into the interior of a motor vehicle, comprising an air feed housing of a size and configuration to fit inside of the motor vehicle, said air feed housing defining first and second separate and parallel air flow paths and having an air intake and a first air outlet adapted to deliver air to the interior of the motor vehicle;   a fan connected to the air intake of said air feed housing;   at least one reactor positioned in each of the air flow paths, said reactor being designed as a generally planar bed member and being comprised of a combination of at least two adsorbent materials selected such that the reactor adsorbs both noxious and aromatic substances contained in the air; and   flow control means for alternately subjecting the adsorbent material in the first air flow path to an adsorption air flow and the adsorbent material in the second air flow path to a desorption air flow, wherein the air flow direction in the adsorbent material in the first and second air flow paths are opposite during adsorption and during desorption.   
     
     
       26. A device according to claim 25, wherein each adsorbent material in said reactor is disposed in a separate layer extending transversely with respect to the air flow direction.